Dinner got easier with this tangy and mildly sweet chicken thighs. Serve with rice, pasta or noodles. In less than 45 minutes, you'll have a delicious homemade dinner that everyone will rave about.
This is a very easy chicken thighs recipe which is also very quick and tasty. tamarind leaves the chicken tangy and delicious while sugar and vinegar helps tenderize the thighs - as if they are not tender already. I like using thighs in this recipe instead of breast as it is more flavorful and kid friendly.
I love tamarind drink, it is sweet, tangy and so delicious and it reminds me so much of the holy month of Ramadan. This drink is also very common in Egypt during the summer days, when it is super hot and humid, this drink comes to cool you down and hydrate your poor summer body.
This was my only experience with tamarind, until one day, one of my friends here made grape leaves mahshi and she used a clever trick of drizzling it with tamarind while cooking instead of lime juice and it tasted so so good, it was little darker than the usual one made with juist lime juice but it was much tastier.
Since then, I have been thinking of using tamarind in marinating chicken and beef but did not quite go for it. Until I just managed to figure out a nice combination of ingredients that really worked very well with chicken thighs. Feel free to use chicken breast instead but really, I believe chicken thighs are much better in this recipe.
We loved this dish and I am going to make it over and over again, not just because me and the hubby licked almost every drop of sauce but also because my youngest - who barely eats chicken- got crazy about this recipe and kept asking for more!!
Here is a video showing you how to prepare this simple tamarind chicken dish. I hope you'll like it... Enjoy!!
Tamarind chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs- cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- ⅓ cup tamarind juice or use 2 teaspoon tamarind paste + water
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup of water
Instructions
- Heat up a large skillet over medium high heat. then pour in the olive oil.
- Add the chicken pieces and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In a bowl combine garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, tamarind, vinegar and ketchup , mix everything well together.
- When all the water has evaporated from the chicken and it is nice and a little brown , pour the sauce into the pan. Stir it around to cover all the chicken pieces.
- When it boils, reduce the heat, and add the cornstarch dissolved in water, cover and let it cook for almost 20 minutes until done. Taste to adjust seasoning.
- Garnish with some sesame seeds and serve hot with rice/pasta or noodles
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Randa Tadros
Do you use tamarind juice or make it with paste plus water?
o poder do chá de sumiço 2.0
Great article, I liked it very much congratulations!! 27229433
Chris
Step 4 says "when all the water has evaporated" but there is no mention of adding water. Do I add water with the oil?
Amira
Chris, no you do not add more water, just when the chicken is dry.
Kevin
She means when the liquid from the chicken pieces has evaporated.
Sommer Osman
Fantastic flavor
Gabi
I didn´t use the juice but it was really delicious, all the same!
NM
Needed some ginger, scallions and carrots or peppers to brighten the recipe. Great sauce and starting point.
Susan Arbuthnot
haven't tried it yet but looks great!
Olivia
I want to make this so bad! But the only tamarind type thing I found was tamarind concentrate. Is that the same thing as paste or juice?
Amira
Olivia, usually they are the same. It is thick and sticky almost has the same consistency as honey. I hope this helps.
Joe
I made this as specified and, while it was good, I thought it was lacking salt and heat and that the amount of sauce was insufficient. So, I made it again, doubling the sauce ingredients and adding 2 T of Thai fish sauce plus a few diced Thai chilies, and it was superb.
Amira
Thank you Joe for such an insightful and detailed comment. I am happy you've found a way to customize this recipe according to your liking, I am sure others will find this helpful as well.
Letitia Bradbury
I am a tamarind addict! I am making this dish tomorrow night for my family. I am so excited to try it!! I’ll let you know how it is received by 4 picky boys!
Amira
Letitia, I will be waiting for your pictures too and I hope you'll like it. Thank you.
Sara Khatib
Loved this recipe, but I didn't let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes since It was thick enough, next time ill leave it to simmer for longer so I can get more intense flavor. I also used tamarind juice since thats what I had on hand and it turned out great
Amira
Thank you Sara for trying this recipe, I am happy you liked it.
Debby
Amira,
I love love tamarind and was glad to find another way to cook with it. (I get a big bag of it and eat it right from the pod...) Anyhow, I added more tamarind and ketchup and love the tangy sauce. I even used whole chicken thighs. (Cooking right now). I may even put the chicken under the broiler and baste a few times.
Thank you for this! I will definitely check out your other recipes. Glad I stumbled on your site.
Take care!
Amira
Thank you Debby, I finally got a tamarind enthusiast as me :). I have to say though that until now I did not eat tamarind right out of the pod, I will definitely look for some. I am glad you liked the recipe.
Casey
Not sure where I went wrong, but it turned out soooooo sour. The chicken itself was nice but the sauce on the noodles wasn't enjoyable at all.
Amira
Casey, thank you for trying the recipe. Tamarind is sour for sure but this was only 2 teaspoons! Probably the brand you've used for the paste? not sure honestly.
Theresa
This recipe looks a lot easier than beggars chicken I usually make, think I'll try it.
Amira
Waiting for you to try it Theresa, I've had many readers email me at how good this turned out for them. Let me know how it did with you.
Alix
Can you clarify how much tamarind if you are using wet (pulp) and don't have juice? Thanks.
Alix
Can you explain the amount of tamarind? Do you mean put the pulp in water or do I need actually juice? Thanks!
Amira
Alix, actually neither! there is something called tamarind paste, that is like a concentrate. Here is a link on amazon (affiliate).
Katie
Hi Amira, I made the Tamarind Chicken last night and it was delicious. Thanks for the recipe
Amira
Katie, thank you so much for trying this recipe and for leaving a feedback. I am so happy that you’ve liked it.
Igor @ Cooking The Globe
What an awesome dish, Amira! I stumbled upon your blog only today and I really love everything you do. Good luck in the future!
Amira
Thanks Igor, I appreciate it. I love your blog too.
Henna
This is so interesting Amira! The only time I've used tamarind is in a traditional Pakistani chutney.
I can only imagine the awesome tango of flavors going on here!
Amira
It is super nice ,, flavors go so well together. Thanks Henna.
Isiah Grinde
Make this Indian-inspired chicken dish on the grill--or in the oven--for a flavorful dinner with minimal cleanup.
Michelle @ thelastfoodblog
This looks delicious Amira! I've never cooked with tamarind, but it looks like this recipe could change that 😉 Pinned it x
Ahu @ AhuEats
Just reading the word 'tamarind' makes my mouth water. Looks incredible 🙂
Amira
Woow, seems that I've got someone to share my tamarind love with :). Thanks Ahu.
Umm Hamza
It's a must try recipe for me, especially after your little ones approval! It's so difficult for us mums trying to cook 1 meal to please all / the majority. Usually I end up cooking 2 different meals twice a day, that's not including breakfast when everyone wants to eat different things lol, but alhamdulillah for everything. Sweet and sour things I realy enjoy, think it comes from my love of sour sweets as a kid, then again maybe not
Amira
I was so amazed that he liked it, usually my kids do not like saucy chicken, and it is really hard to convince them to eat it!!! and when they do, they say it is delicious.. strange kids!!! 🙂
Litina
looks delicious yummy! can you please list more recipes that uses tamarind
Amira
I will do my best in the near future to include it in my recipes as I have discovered amazing health benefits for tamarind too!!. Thanks for the comment.